Anodyne Sword

Full Item Description
The Anodyne sword is an odd blade that is too long to be a short sword, but not quite large enough to be a longsword or a broadsword. It has a gold crossguard shaped like the heads of two serpents, their bodies twining together above the haft of the sword. It can be used in the off hand with relative ease, and lends itself well to two bladed fighting styles.

History
Anodyne blades were first manufactured in the city of Dreifach for use in vivisectionist schools. Some of these painless knives found their way into thieve’s hands and quickly were removed from production. Yet this action came entirely too late as one of the artificer smiths who made the blades had already been compromised by disreputable elements. The artificer made several of the off-hand style Anodyne swords before his forge was shut down by the authorities of the city.

Of the blades he made, most found their way into the arsenals of well to do thieves, devious nobles, and professional duelists. It was in this arena that the Anodyne Sword made a fearsome reputation for itself, as well as wrapping itself in an aura of preternatural fear.

Tales of the Sword
The first blows struck with the blades were dealt by Gnoccio of Lusankya, a well to do dandy, murderer, and assassin. He encountered Duke Bollosimond near the Fountain of Wyrms and the Duke though the man to have given him a playful jab to the midsection before he moved on the market. Gnoccio was such a boisterous, and often touching of others type of person. The Duke staggered, and was shocked to find his silk doublet soaked with blood, and a 14 inch gash starting just above his groin and stopping just short of his ribs. The duke died, but not before he was able to name his assailant. Gnoccio was hanged a week later, though the sword was looted from his possessions before it could be seized by authorities.

The second and probably more circulated tale involved a braggart duelist from Tekne who incited others to anger just to duel with them. He used a quick technique that would nick and bleed a foe until their guard was down enough he could strike a killing blow, or they surrendered. so sure was he of his own style, he though his foe incompetent until he himself stumbled. The duelist had been cut and bleed like a cheurigon’s patient. The unnamed folk hero/duelist killed the braggart with a decapitating strike and vanished from sight.

Prince Yane of Feldspar held one of these blades as a personal prize, having survived an assassination attempt by the selfsame blade. He had since fallen in love with a foreign Dancing Girl whose stage name was Black Oleander. She painted her face white and her hair black and was a seductive dancer and singer of haunting songs. When she was executed by his father to remove the distraction to his son getting a suitable noble wife, Prince Yane used the blade to commit a ritualized suicide, leaving a note tearful for his lost love, and condemning his father to a cold and bitter hell.

The final tale involves a merciful assassin who went by the simple moniker of the Knife. The Knife was in the daytime a jester and street performer who juggled and pantomimed for coins, being a mute. At night he would down ale and listen in bars, using his skills of dexterity, balance, and silence to move unnoticed into the homes of people. He would then dispatch those he had contract to kill with a quick thrust into the heart, leaving the to simply die whilst still dreaming.

Magic/Cursed Properties
Any wound caused by the Anodyne Sword causes no pain, enemies hit by the blade feel nothing more than the hand of the wielder. This much resembles the pain numbing ability of some berzerkers, and like that ability, PCs should not be told how many HP of damage is inflicted upon them by this type of weapon.

Additional Ideas (0)

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As Cheka noted: It is a pity these are large swords and not surgical scalpels, else medical procedures would be made a walk in the park. If the numbing quality is in the metal, perhaps it could be melted down to make a more wieldy surgery utensil? Still... I see amputation bieng a painless possibility.

On top of all that, I can see it bieng a more-than-adequate munchkin-slayer, too.

I seriously love this sword. But what is the blades shape? Strait or curved? That is a serious problem for me, strait blades block, curved blades deflect. overall though, I'm lovin the story behind this blade. And original as anything I've ever seen. Love the magic/innate properties too.

It can be whatever you heart desires Lith. If you want to deflect, it can be curved, and if you want to block it can be straight. However, I am not sure how watertight the straight/block:Curved/deflect method is. I did some training with swords, and didn't have problems deflecting with a straight sword or blocking with a curved one. Mind you, we were using wooden swords.

I'd echo Scras' statements and add that the main difference between straight and curved swords is their provenance- straight swords were made mainly for stabbing and close-quarters fighting by footsoldiers (keep in mind the Roman footsoldier), while curved blades were meant for slashing attacks from horseback by riding warriors (for instance, mounted Arab warriors with scimitars, or the original samurai, who were riders, accounting for the curved shape of the katana).

This is a lot like Gideon's Mercy, with the snake on the hilt and similar powers. These swords could be fun items and you put some cultural weight behind them which is very nice.

Some Edits

IN POST “the Duke though the man to have given him a playful jab to the midsection before he moved on the market.”

I think “though” should be “thought”

IN POST “Gnoccio was such a boisterous, and often touching of others type of person.”

Slightly awkward transition here, so we must assume that Duke had this opinion of the Gnoccio. May I suggest moving the order of information around like this

"The Duke was acquainted with Gnoccio and knew him to be a boisterous person and gregarious person; often roughly touching or slapping others in fun. As Gnoccio departed the Duke thought the man to have given him a playful jab to the midsection the man, until the Duke staggered and was shocked to find his silk doublet soaked with blood, and a 14-inch gash starting just above his groin and stopping just short of his ribs.

Or change it all together so that we are clearer about the nature of the Duke and Gnoccio’s exchange.

IN POST “so sure was he of his own style, he though his foe incompetent until he himself stumbled.”

I think so should be capitalized and though should be thought. Also I think it would be help to put some transition in here to note that you are no longer talking about Tekene in general, but are now discussing the specific duel in which he died.

iN POST “He would then dispatch those he had contract to kill with a quick thrust into the heart, leaving the to simply die whilst still dreaming”

I think there should be an a before contract or “those he had been contracted to kill”

But again, nice item, useful and fun, the cultural weight behind it (weapon lore) makes the post much more intereting than the item alone.

Freetext

Don't go to Behar!

In the province of Behar in India, there is a bizarre custom that persists to the present day. Young men are kidnapped at knife (gun) point, and forced into marriage. If they refuse or cause trouble upon meeting their blushing bride-to-be, they are told that their family members will come to harm or even be killed if they resist. Some manage to fall in love or accept their fate. This scenario can be adapted to any rpg, ideally with a pc in the role of the abducted future husband!